So, in my last post, I hinted at a new brewing project. And I realize I've kept all of my loyal readers (all three? five? of you) waiting for too long. So here it is, my new goal:
Brew every BJCP beer style.
23 categories.
80 styles of beer.
And I want to do it in under a year.
Some clarifications:
I'm going by the Beer Judge Certification Program Style Guidelines, 2008 revision. I'm only attempting the beers in this goal. I might brew a few ciders and meads, but they are not part of this goal. I made my first batch on February 1, 2013 (13C, Oatmeal Stout). I want to have everything fermented and bottled by the 31st of January, 2014. The bottle conditioning/aging doesn't need to be finished, as long as it's in a bottle (or keg, if I get into kegging by then.
So, what have I done since I started a month ago?
Not much. The afformentioned Oatmeal Stout (13C), and today I am brewing a Guinness clone (13A, Dry Stout). I had originally planned to go crazy and do all 5 stout styles, and then realized that the weather is getting warmer, and stouts aren't exactly a spring beer... so I'll shelve the other three stouts till the fall.
What's next?
I'm not really sure. I do know I want to do some lighter beers (Light lagers, Pilsners, Wheat beers), and I have some Belgian Ale yeast in my fridge, so I'll prob do some Belgians at some point soon, too. I don't have an exact plan on how to pick what to brew..., so I'll probably just brew whatever I feel like, while trying to keep the beers seasonally appropriate. Given that I have 78 styles to get through in 46 weeks... it'll be a fun year, with lots of brewing.
Also: while 80 batches sounds like a LOT of beer, I'm only doing 1 gallon batches. While I may upgrade to a 3-gallon system in the future, I prefer brewing small batches frequently to larger batches infrequently. 1-gallon batches means I won't get stuck with way too much beer (like that has ever been a problem), and will stay within the legal limit. (200 gal/household...)
